


Coping Mechanisms

by thesaddestboner



Category: Hockey RPF, Women's Hockey RPF
Genre: Animal Transformation, Established Relationship, F/F, Gen, No Plot/Plotless, Shippy Gen, Silly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-18
Updated: 2015-12-18
Packaged: 2018-05-07 08:41:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5450381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesaddestboner/pseuds/thesaddestboner
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Hilary gets stressed out, she copes in...unconventional ways.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coping Mechanisms

**Author's Note:**

  * For [james](https://archiveofourown.org/users/james/gifts).



> [](http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/james/profile)[**james**](http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/james/) requested: _What if Hilary turned into a puppy when she was sad? Or happy, or bored or felt that really her teammates' shoes needed some chewing on? How do her long-suffering friends and teammates deal with the fact she is occasionally too adorable to tell off?_
> 
> This ended up being about Hilary and one specific teammate, rather than Hilary and multiple teammates. I actually meant to do a 5+1 type fic, but this happened instead. Oops?
> 
> This is pretty gen but I definitely intended for them to be in a relationship as I was writing this.
> 
> Thanks to [](http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/Xochi44/profile)[**Xochi44**](http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/Xochi44/) for looking this over.
> 
> You can find me on [twitter](http://twitter.com/thesaddestboner) and [tumblr](http://saddestboner.tumblr.com).

Bri lets herself into the apartment, dropping her keys and a stack of mail on the little table near the entrance. The place feels empty but she calls out for Hilary anyway, not really expecting a response. She goes to hang her jacket up on the coat hook mounted on the wall when she notices the state of the apartment—the chaos, the disarray. The couch has been completely gutted, nothing more than tufts of cotton stuffing and torn scraps of thick fabric. There are skidmarks on the hardwood floor where it’s been pushed or dragged across the floor. 

Bri sighs, takes a few tentative steps forward. Something squeaks underfoot and she looks down: a dog’s chew-toy. They don’t own a dog. She doesn’t remember buying dog toys either.

“Hilary,” she calls out again, bending down and grabbing the rubber chew-toy and flipping it from hand to hand.

The sound of nails clicking across the hardwood floor captures her attention. A large chocolate lab stands in the doorway, tail wagging. The dog looks almost guilty, then its eyes hone in on the chew-toy in Bri’s hands and its tail goes into overdrive. 

Bri sighs again and holds the toy out and the dog takes it from her fingers gingerly, careful not to use any teeth.

“Again, Hils?” she says, reaching out—after just a moment’s hesitation—to rub one of Hilary’s silky brown ears. Just so she knows Bri’s not mad at her or anything. The couch can be replaced, the hardwood floors can be sanded and polished. 

Hilary drops the chew-toy at Bri’s feet and nudges her palm with a cold, wet nose.

“Might be time for better coping mechanisms,” Bri teases gently, crouching on one knee to rub fiercely under Hilary’s chin. Hilary tips her chin up for better access and Bri rolls her eyes. This only happens when Hilary gets stressed out—usually about big games—but Bri thinks she secretly enjoys it because Bri dotes on her. “Think you can change back in time for our game tonight?”

Hilary nudges at Bri’s chin with her nose and lashes a big pink tongue across her cheek. Bri makes a face and wipes the dog-slime off her cheek with a groan. 

“I’ll…do something about the couch,” Bri says, taking the apology for what it is. She scratches Hilary’s snout indulgently. “That's the second couch this month.”

Hilary seems to grin at her and wag her tail in response.

***

A few hours later, Hilary emerges from her room looking no worse for the wear. Bri’s managed to drag the couch out to the dumpster behind their apartment, with the help of a neighbor, and she’s cleaned up most of the cotton stuffing and torn fabric. She’s pulled a rug over the claw marks and scratches on the hardwood floor for the time being; they’ll deal with that some other time. 

Hilary drags the sleeves of her hoodie down over her hands. “So,” she announces, as Bri pushes a Swiffer around on the hardwood floor, “I was thinking.”

Bri looks up and tucks some unruly blonde hair behind her ear. “About what?”

“I think we need a dog.”

That startles a laugh out of Bri. “So you’ll have someone to keep you company when you get—” she waves a hand in Hilary’s general direction, inarticulately.

“Actually… I was thinking a dog might help keep me from getting—” Hilary mimics Bri’s hand gestures and waving.

Bri leans the mop against the wall and picks a chew-toy up off the floor. “It’s an idea,” she allows, which is as close to ‘you’re right’ as she’ll let herself get with Hilary. 

Hilary’s face brightens and a big, white grin stretches her mouth impossibly wide. “So that’s a yes, then?” she asks.

Bri tosses her the dog toy and she catches it in her cupped palms. “What do you think?”

“I’ll start checking animal shelters in the area then,” Hilary says, still beaming as she all but dances back down the hall to her room.

Bri can’t help but laugh. She knows she lets Hilary get away with too much, sometimes, but more and more, she’s finding she doesn’t care. Getting a dog together is a big responsibility, a big first step. But, Bri supposes, she already has some experience there.

**Author's Note:**

> The author of this piece intends no insult, slander, or copyright infringement, and is not profiting from this work. This story is a complete work of fiction and does not necessarily reflect on the nature of the individuals featured. This is for entertainment purposes only. If you found this story while Googling your name or the names of your friends, hit the back button now.


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